Safe At Home?

Today's homes contain a greater variety of chemicals than the typical chemistry laboratory did in 1900. Unfortunately, the results have not all been life enhancing and safe. Many people are finding they have become sensitive to products that they could use before. There is increasing concern about the long term impact of household and personal care products on themselves and their children with recent EPA studies showing that the air inside the average home is 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside.

Commenting on a new report on the apparent relationship between birth defects and environmental pollution, Dr. James Hanson, Director of the University of Iowa's Institute for Health, Behavior and Environmental Policy, "...there may be some agents out there that large numbers of people are exposed to — and maybe not in terribly high doses — that may have an effect on reproductive outcomes". How can you educate yourself about the dangers you are exposed to? Are there alternatives? Here are some suggestions:

First, become an aware consumer. There are many sources of information about toxins in our homes. Understand that most product labels only list the active ingredients in the product. Sometimes, the inert ingredients which may not be listed are the more dangerous ones.

Understand the warning labels. Those marked "DANGER- POISON" with a skull & crossbones could kill an adult if only a tiny amount is ingested. Those marked "WARNING" could kill an adult if about a teaspoon is ingested. Those marked "CAUTION" will not kill until an amount from 1 ounce to 1 pint is ingested. Remember, however, that just because you are still alive, doesn't mean that you aren't dangerously ill.
It is also important to understand that because of their smaller body size and higher breathing rates, children can be as much as 10 times more sensitive to these chemicals.

Second, dispose of all the cleaning and personal care products and pesticides that you don't use. You know, the ones which are stuck in the back of the cupboard. No matter how well they are sealed, the vapors of some products escape from their containers - this is called "out gassing". (As an example, think about what you smell when you walk through the cleaning and laundry products section at the supermarket.) Be sure to dispose of them safely.

Third, store the cleaning products and pesticides that you are frequently using outside your main living area (e.g. in your garage) and then seal air leaks between the garage and your living area. The "outguessing" will have less impact on your family plus it is easier to keep these products away from young hands.

Fourth, consider changing your cleaning product brands or making some of your own cleaning products. The following are some "recipes" we've heard about: General cleaning: Make a mild solution of 1 teaspoon of borax to a quart of warm water. Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a little white vinegar to help cut the grease. Furniture and floor polish. Since the active ingredient in most polishes is plain mineral oil, use it instead of a commercial product. Just put a little on a soft cloth and rub it in. For a "lemon scent", just add a teaspoon of lemon oil to 2 cups of mineral oil. You don't need much and it will be quickly absorbed into the wood.